Philadelphia Injury Lawyer Blog

With New Year’s Eve, one of the biggest celebrations of the year, just days away, it’s important to remember the serious dangers of drinking and driving. In 2009, there were 10,839 fatalities in crashes involving a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher – 32 percent of total traffic fatalities for the year. Sadly, even more are injured in crashes involving drunk drivers. Some victims suffer such severe spinal injuries at the hands of a drunk driver that they are paralyzed for life.

Last summer, a 22-year-old Montana man was charged with negligent vehicular assault, criminal endangerment, and a misdemeanor count of DUI after he drove under the influence and lost control of his pickup truck. The young driver, Mitchell Lane Ralph, had 4 passengers in his pickup truck at the time of the accident. After his truck rolled through an embankment, one of his passengers, a female of just 20 years of age, was ejected from the truck.

While the passenger who was ejected from the vehicle was left with a broken neck, and possible spinal cord injuries, a second female passenger was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries as well. Ralph himself, and the one remaining passenger in the vehicle, a young male, each suffered from minor injuries.

After pleading guilty of driving while intoxicated and admitting to becoming distracted when his car went off the road, Ralph is now free on $40,000 bond. Although this accident occurred in Montana, it is an all too common example of what can happen at the hands of one intoxicated driver. However fortunately, this accident was not fatal while many accidents involving drunk driving are.

Driving under the influence of alcohol often causes a driver to make reckless, erratic, and seriously dangerous decisions while behind the wheel. If your loved one has been injured in an accident caused by an intoxicated driver, contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer right away.

A Philadelphia police officer suffered from injury last week after facilitating the arrest of two alleged criminals in Sanatoga, Pennsylvania. Sanatoga officer James McCue suffered the injury while attempting to make the arrest of Skaeya Dodd, 22, of Sanatoga, and Gregg N. McElveen, 20, of Philadelphia.

McCue had to respond responded to a domestic disturbance call from the Rolling Hills apartments in the early morning hours of December 23rd. The female suspect, Dodd, had been cited for public drunkenness and was also reported to have sustained a facial injury after a drunken fall.

McElveen, Dodd’s male counterpart, who was observed urinating on the side of an unoccupied police cruiser during the incident, had to be detained after he struggled to break free of McCue’s grasp striking him several times with his fists and injuring McCue before fleeing the scene on foot.

McCue eventually caught McElveen and was forced to discharge his Taser, a nonlethal weapon, to prevent further injury. Officer McCue was taken to Pottstown Memorial hospital after sustaining injury on Friday December 23rd, 2011. He was treated and released and is fortunately expected to make a full recovery according to his department Sgt. Timothy Walters.

McElveen was allegedly found to possess seven individually packaged bags of marijuana, three small plastic containers, and four blue pills at the time of his arrest. He has been charged with open lewdness, simple assault, disorderly conduct, possession of drugs, public lewdness, among several other charges and is schedule to be arraigned Friday in magisterial court in Lower Pottsgrove. Dodd has been charged with criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct along with public drunkenness.

According to a poll of several Pennsylvania adults, about 17 percent of Pennsylvanians know someone who was suffered injury while opening gifts during a past holiday season. This amazing finding was reported in the 2009 December 5th edition of popular website Science News Daily. The Poll was conducted by the Institute for Good Medicine at the Pennsylvania Medical Society in July of 2009

Several adults in the state of Pennsylvania aged 21 and older were asked “Have you or someone you know ever been injured (such as receiving a cut that required medical attention) while opening the packaging (not gift wrap) of a holiday or birthday gift? When a whopping 17% said yes, researchers were stunned and came to define the phenomena as “wrap rage.”

“Wrap rage” is a term used to describe the rage and frustration involved in opening a tightly and sophisticatedly sealed product package. While consumers, especially gift recipients are often excited and anxious to unleash the product inside the package, they sometimes use rash, unsafe methods of trying to quickly open the product’s box.

Researchers note that the surprisingly common phenomenon isn’t reserved for just Pennsylvanian’s. In fact, 2001 census data suggested that people throughout the United States are twice as likely to suffer from injury from packaging as opposed to a skateboarding or swimming accident.

It is important to remember that, while it is understandable the holiday gifts can be exciting for people of all ages, it’s important to stay calm and play it safe when opening packaging. In other words, avoid “wrap rage.” Try to avoid the use of sharp objects to open packaging, but when they are necessary, be sure to cut away from your body and refrain from using your legs to keep the product stable. Always avoid opening tough-to-open packages around children or in a crowded area, and to play it extra safe, wear protective gloves.

Three Philadelphia caregivers were in question after being caught on tape allegedly causing injury to and elderly dementia patient. The caregivers, Tyrina Friffin, 22, Ayesha Muhammad, 19 and Samirah Trayham, 22, all of the Philadelphia area worked at the Quadrangle Senior Living Community in Haverford Township Pennsylvania. However, after their day in court on Thursday December 15th with Judge Kevin F. Kelly, each of the workers was found to be not guilty. Although Judge Kelly called the behavior of the three women “wholly inappropriate and repugnant,” he did not find the three women guilty of causing physical or emotional injury to the defendant, 78 year old Lois McCallister.

The family of Ms. McCallister was reportedly shocked by the court’s decision. The three nursing home workers were initially charged of aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, harassment, and neglect of a care-dependent person after an investigation began in March when McCallister’s family suspected abuse.

The McCallisser family placed a hidden camera in her room in their loved one’s room at Quadrangle and allegedly caught Friffin, Muhammad, and Trayham, mocking, endangering, and treating their 78 year old loved one inappropriately. In April the Department of Public Welfare revoked the operating license of Quadrangle and the three caregivers accused of abuse and inflicting emotional injury were dismissed from their jobs, but The Quadrangle center is now operating again.

Nursing home abuse and nursing home patient injury has been an issue in the Philadelphia area and throughout the country for the last several decades. If your relative has suffered injury due to endangerment from or negligence of others, it is advisable that you contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer immediately to ensure that justice is served for your loved one.

It’s no secret that the holidays can be the most dangerous time of year. Aside from the commonly known reason for this, the increased number of car accidents, there are many other injury types that occur in the Philadelphia area and around the country during the months of November and December. It’s important to try to prevent the following household accidents and injuries as much as possible.

Poisoning by Seasonal Plants - Mistletoe, holly berries, Jerusalem Cherries, and amaryllis are all poisonous when consumed by both humans and their pets. Keep these plants away from pets and children. If you do have them, keep them on a high shelf or another place safe from your little ones who may be tempted to chew on the leaves. When in doubt, keep them out of your household.

Electrocution - Injury by way of electrocution is unfortunately very common around the holiday season. During this time, many inexperienced homeowners tinker around with electrical sockets and extension cords when putting up indoor or outdoor lights. Try to prevent such injuries by using a ground fault interrupter, and when in doubt, hire a professional. Remember that you should never attach more than three strands of lights into an extension cord.

Sledding Accidents – Winter and the holiday season can be a fun time to play outdoors in the snow, but it is so important for both children and adults to take precautions to avoid unnecessary injury. This is true especially participating in sledding activities. Thousands of sledding accidents are reported in the U.S. annually. Never sled too close to somebody else, avoid hills with trees, and always inspect terrain before sledding.

Unfortunately injuries that are inflicted due to the negligence or fault of others can be hard to prevent. Fortunately, Philadelphia Injury Lawyer Edith A. Pearce is on your side if you do become injured. She will help you see that justice is had and that you get the compensation you deserve.

You’ve probably heard the age old rumor that drivers drive more dangerously around the Holiday season which is generally marked by the time period between the week leading up to Thanksgiving though New Years, but do the statistics prove it to be true? Of course accidents statistics vary from state to state and from year to year, but in Pennsylvania the number of accidents during the 2010 combined holiday season (November through December) was indeed higher than during other months of the year, and the reported reason for the majority of those accidents may shock you.

Taking a look at the statistics shows that in 2010, a total of 55 people died in a car accident during the weekend before Thanksgiving. Shockingly, this time period in and of itself had the highest rate of crashes compared to other weekends during the year. A whopping 535 were found to have been alcohol related. In fact more than half of all accidents that occur during the holiday season are found to be alcohol related. This means that while the age old rumor tells us that people drive recklessly around the holiday season due to overwhelming holiday to-do lists, that may not necessarily be true.

While some holiday season accidents may involve reckless driving due to extra crowded and chaotic roads during the holiday shopping rush, many more are caused by holiday “celebrating,” in other words, alcohol consumption. This problem is so alarming during the holiday season that 22 percent of the total number of crashes involving alcohol in 2010 occurred immediately before and after Thanksgiving day.

Remember to refrain from drinking and driving this holiday season as well as always. You will likely save your own life and the lives of others. If you have been injured in an accident involving an intoxicated driver in the Philadelphia area or anywhere in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, contact the experts at The Pearce Law Firm.

Every 48 minutes one American dies in an alcohol-related traffic accident. One in three U.S. residents will have his life irrevocably changed by a person driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs, Philadelphia personal injury attorneys warn. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 11,000 people, 14% of them under the age of 14, died in alcohol-related traffic accidents in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available. In a significant number of cases, drivers involved in DUI fatalities are repeat offenders and are eight times more likely than sober drivers to have at least one prior DUI conviction.

Nearly a third of all Pennsylvania auto accident fatalities are caused by drunken drivers. According to statistics posted on the MADD (Mothers Against Drunken Driving) website, there were 406 DUI fatalities in Pennsylvania in 2011, 32% of the state’s total traffic accident death toll. Among the 52 states, Pennsylvania ranks 30th in number of DUI fatalities with drunk drivers costing the state $2.19 billion a year.

Currently, sobriety checkpoints and ignition interlocks are the only two options available to keep drunk drivers off the road. A new invention has the potential to be a game-changer in the battle against drunk drivers. In partnership with the U.S. auto industry and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, QinetiQ North America is developing a built-in breathalyzer that could become standard equipment on U.S. vehicles within the next 5 years. If installed in all vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that the device could save 9,000 lives a year. Scheduled for on-road tests in 2013, the breathalyzer uses breath and touch sensors to automatically measure the driver’s blood alcohol content. If it’s over the legal limit, the car will start but not move.

If you are involved in an accident caused by a drunk driver, contact a Philadelphia lawyer to protect your rights.

Penn State has been the subject of much tragedy recently. Now, one young person was killed and four others injured after a motor vehicle accident in the Philadelphia area last Friday evening. The Penn State community has been deeply saddened by such a loss.

The accident was the first accident of its magnitude in Penn State history to happen during the canning weekend although Penn State student Kevin Steinberg also lost his life in 1978 in an accident that occurred while he was on his way to deliver money collected that year.

Everyone involved in the tragic accident was a young person from Penn State en route during a canning trip (in which they were working to drop off money raised for charitable causes). The students were traveling with Penn State’s Interfraternity Council Pan-Hellenic Dance marathon according to Penn State Spokeswoman Lisa Powers. During the trip passenger and Penn State freshman Courtney O’Bryan, 18, of Huntington, N.Y. lost her life after the car she was riding in hit a patch of black ice and flipped over.

The students’ vehicle, which was driven by 20-year-old John Edwards, hit the patch while passing through McKean County in Bradford Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania State Police rushed to the scene to respond to the Friday night incident.

Names of other students in the vehicle at the time of the accident include Chris Toner, 21 who was in the passenger seat and Jena Pardhan, 18, and Lauren Bronstein, 19 according to State Police Cpl. Tim Lencer. Each suffered some degree of injury and was taken to a Philadelphia area hospital after the crash.

The accident is still under investigation and it is not yet known at what speed the vehicle was traveling, but police say drugs and alcohol were not involved in the crash.

This summer a strange series of incidents involving gunshots and Septa bus drivers took place. Just this week another gunshot was fired through the window of a septa bus, seemingly targeting the driver.

During yesterday’s incident which occurred around 7 p.m., a shot was fired but fortunately no one was reportedly injured. The gun man is still unidentified. The gunman’s bullet went through the window as the Septa bus was traveling from the Route 17 in the Point Breeze section of Philadelphia. The bullet landed behind the driver’s side of the window, just missing the driver after it sped through the window and just missed the driver of the bus. The bus was reportedly headed south on 19th street near Whatron and police say it does seem that the bullet was intended for the driver specifically.

The previous streak of violent acts against Septa drivers occurred during the late summer and included two incidents that injured one 22-year-old man as well as a female Septa driver to the hospital. In a September 14th incident, the two people hurt included a SEPTA bus driver waiting to start his route as well as the unidentified 22-year-old male passerby. Police found at least 12 bullet casings marked after the scene. In the prior attack in late August, driver Bernetta Rembert was shot in the arm while sitting on her bus alone.

Police are still investigating the series of attacks and so far there has been no word on possible motives in the shootings. Although four victims have now suffered moderate physcial and undoubtedly emotional injury from bullet wounds in the tragic shootings, fortunately, all are expected to survive their injuries.